Watch out, Marilyn's got a gun!

I ddin't get a picture of me actually shooting the gun

but I figured this was pretty close.

I mean we could be twins...right? (FYI I'm being sarcastic)

Getting through my list of 30 New Experiences by the time I'm 30 isn't nearly as hard as finding time to blog about them. But I promise I will work at being better about keeping you updated.

My first 30BY30 experience actually took place about 3 weeks ago while visiting my uncle in Jay, Oklahoma. We were sitting around visiting when my cousin looked and me and said, "Wanna shoot a gun?" As fear covered the face of my husband I smiled and said, "YES!" It's no secret to anyone that knows me that I'm a proud supporter of the 2nd amendment. I feel that everyone should be able to protect themselves against anyone and anything. What they might now know is that I've never actually shot a gun outside of my husband's Red Rider BB gun or the plastic gun you use for Duck Hunt.

My uncle lives on several acres so we found a good open spot and set up a plastic jug to use as my target. He went over the basics about gun safety and how to line up the site. After I felt comfortable with holding the gun and using the safety I lifted it to aim at my target. Gently I pulled the trigger but wasn't prepared for the loud noise or jolt of adrenaline that would shoot through my body. It was even more awesome to find out that I hit my target. I pulled the trigger four more times hitting the target each time.

It is certanly something that I will be doing again!

Other Monumental Birthdays!

As I pause to focus on my upcoming birthday I can't help but take notice of other monumental birthdays being celebrated.

Today my friends, Scott and Jenny Williams, welcomed into the world a baby girl named McKenna Rian. I can only imagine what is going through the thoughts of the William's family as they celebrate her first day in this world. She is begining a wonderful journey and I can't wait to celebrate her 30th birthday with her!

Last week I was honored to have my "experiment" mentioned by my friend and neighbor Jennifer on her wildly popular blog http://www.jenx67.com/. She also mentioned an article in the Journal Record by Louisa McCune-Elmore (Subject to change: Lordy, lordy, we’re 40) which gives a great account of what goes through the mind of someone turning 40.

Finally, while in Tulsa today I stopped to place flowers on the grave of my grandparents and was suprised to notice that this year my grandfather, Rev. William T. Roberts, would have turned 100 years young. Even though he won't be here to blow out the candles I will still secretly celebrate his birth. 

Can you imagine the changes that have taken place between 1910, when my grandfather was born, to today when little McKenna arrived into our lives?  

Part 2 of my 30By30 Challenge

When I looked up the word ‘age’ in the Thesaurus here are some results that came up; decline, deteriorate, get along, grow feeble, grow old, grow up, mature, put mileage on, ripen. To quote a popular movie from my generation, “As if!”

If this is how our society defines ageing then there’s no wonder women are upset about getting older. It’s hard to think that you could describe me turning 30 as “deteriorating” or “growing feeble”. I hope I handle growing older with more grace than a tomato left out in the hot Oklahoma sun.

Growing old should be an adventure! I look at my husband’s 86 year old grandmother and think of the stories she could tell; the things she’s seen; and the people she’s met. I watch as she embraces her age and chooses to live her life rather than sit in a rocking chair waiting to die. Because of this attitude she will probably outlive us all.

People tell me, “30 is the new 20!” That's great, but I don’t want to be 20. I like being 30. I like looking at college age girls knowing I have more knowledge than them. I like being able to brag about my accomplishments and how far I’ve come; and, most importantly, where I’m going. I like having a steady job and extra money to splurge on something fun. I also like waking up on a Saturday morning and not feeling the results of the night before.

Some people find ageing as scary because they think it signifies the end of a fun, fancy-free youth filled with partying and late night trips to Whataburger and that they’re oh-so-much closer to death. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Sure I’ve probably experienced my last ‘all-nighter’ that doesn’t include feeding, burping and changing diapers. But I’m fine with that. Instead of spending Friday nights at a bar filled with smoke trying to yell over the music, I’ll hang out on my front porch drinking a glass of wine and actually getting to hold a conversation with the people I care about.

You see, when you get older the fun doesn’t end. The definition just changes a little.

This leads me to the second part of my 30BY30 challenge. I've challenged myself to EXPERIENCE 30 NEW THINGS BY THE TIME I TURN 30. It's a great time for me to break out of my comfort zone and start my 30s off right.

Some of the things I'm thinking about are:

• Go salsa dancing
• Ride a roller coaster
• See an NFL football game
• Learn to row in the Oklahoma river
• Play a round of golf
• Attend a real Hawaiian Luau
• Go to a rodeo
• Go to a pow wow

The last adventure I want to tackle is seeing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Which happens to fall on my 30th birthday this year!

So let the adventure begin! I'll be posting updates on my volunteer time and new adventures so you can follow along with me and keep me motivated to succeed.

Marilyn’s 30BY30 Challenge Part 1

It was about August of last year that it really hit me that I’d be turning 30 this year! Wow, 30? Already? But it feels like I just celebrated 20 last week. Then I began to wonder. What does one do when they turn 30? Does it mean I have to trade in my high heels for supportive flats? Am I no longer allowed to wear low cut shirts or tight fitting jeans? Do they automatically send me my membership card to the mom jeans club? This is my first time being 30; do they send you an instruction manual?

Once I calmed down and realized that nothing was really going to change I began to contemplate how I would handle such a monumental birthday. Should I have a big blow out party? Cut off all my hair and dye it blond? Get a tattoo? Slow down, it’s too early for a midlife crisis. How about I do something challenging that would make me a better person?

At the time I was already in the midst of a weight loss mission but didn’t really have a goal that I was working towards. So I thought, ‘I’m going to loose 30 pounds for my 30th birthday!’ Not only would I be healthier, I’d overcome a huge challenge. Before starting my weight loss I was the kind of girl who ate ice cream sundaes for lunch and cupcakes two at a time but couldn’t figure out why I was gaining so much weight. Food was a crutch for me and something I used to curb anxiety and stress. If I kept up my old eating habits I would have easily topped 250 pounds by my 40th birthday. For someone whose father died in his 30’s from a heart attack I should have known better.

This challenge proved to me more successful that I thought. Not only did I get my husband eating better and exercising (he’s lost 70 pounds), but I met my goal by April 2010. 7 months early! I remember standing on the scale celebrating my success but then thinking, ‘Now what?’ Getting that high from stepping on the scale every week and seeing my success was addictive and I wanted something else to do. So I sat down and created 2 more lists of goals for me to work towards before my 30th birthday in November.

The first is I WILL DONATE 30 HOURS TO A NON-PROFIT. I’ve always loved volunteering and hope that this will give me the chance to experience some new non-profits in my community. There are a couple of rules. 1) I can only donate a max of 5 hours per charity; 2) It has to be a 501(c) 3; 3) I can’t do something that I’m getting paid for; and, 4) it can’t be for the American Heart Association. So if anyone knows of volunteer opportunities out there send them my way!!

(You didn’t think I was going to share it all with you in one post? Come back tomorrow for part 2 of my 30by30 challenge.)

Why turning 30 is great!

This was written by Andy Rooney from CBS 60 Minutes Andy Rooney says:


As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 30 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?". She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.

A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 30 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing.

Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free." Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire Pig, just to get a little sausage.